


Soldiers

by MandoKain



Series: Cain Fett AU [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Republic Commando Series - Karen Traviss, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Cain is ten years old and not fucking around, Gen, Good Parent Jango Fett, Jango has to face his choices, in this house we love and appreciate fierce sibling loyalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 00:08:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18680083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandoKain/pseuds/MandoKain
Summary: A short piece from Jango's POV. A confrontation with his child, and his choices.





	Soldiers

What do you tell your 10-year-old, when they come crying to you at night and asking why their older brothers have to be soldiers? When you set them on your knee and hold them until they finally stop crying enough to ask, “why do they have to be soldiers, dad? Why?“ Cain knows what soldiers are. They have known since they were old enough to recognise what armor is. How do you tell your child that you never meant to care, you never meant to take those precious boys and love them all more dearly than you thought possible? Cain wants to be a clone so badly, you can tell. They wear the clothing, they go to the trainings, they love and look up to the Nulls and the Nulls adore their vod’ika in turn. They want to wear Mando armor and speak the Mando tongue and  _be_  as Mandalorian as any of the six rapidly-growing young men they’ve been raised with. So how do you tell them that the clones were just a job right up until they weren’t? What do you tell your child when the damage is already done?

“It is a long story, little one, but clones are soldiers because there will be battles to fight.”

Cain is quiet when you say this. They’re still sniffling, leftover tears dribbling down their nose. You’re gently wiping away the last of the water from their face when they say, “then I will fight with them too. I am a Mandalorian too, right?” They look up at you. You nod. That is what you want them to know, to feel in their heart, but these words, though you won’t admit it, scare you. “Mandalorians choose our battles?” Another nod. “Then I choose every one my brothers are in. Because they will not be soldiers alone.”

You are always surprised when you hear that much conviction out of the child you picked up three years ago, the one who shied back from adults and had never tasted uj cake. It’s not just being around you and the Nulls. It’s Cain, pure Cain.

“You will have to train hard.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“And take the command track.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“It will not be easy. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Dad.” Cain looks up at you with fire in their eyes and you wonder just how much they’ve thought about this. “I will make a good warrior. I will. I will fight with my brothers. If they’re going to be soldiers then I will go too.”

_Cain Fett takes the command track. All their siblings do, so they do the same. Jango makes sure that they know that if they want to be a soldier like their vode, they will have to train hard and follow the command track. They want to make a good warrior and a good fighter. By the time the war rolls around, they’re almost 15, but they hold the rank of sergeant. They are respected in their rank not just by the Nulls, but by every clone who knows them. They hold the same rank as their father and one of their siblings, and they stay with at least one sibling for basically the whole war. Their training and commitment are never questioned (by any clone at least), and their armor has elements of clone and Mando to show their alignment. The only time Cain gets questioned is by non-clones, because every clone knows who they are and what they’ve done, and any commander around will immediately step in and vouch for them (because Cain’s fiery nature is also well-known). Because it is known that Jango has children, but not everyone knows that the little Twi’lek in armor standing with their Commander or their Captain or the visiting over-tall clone CO is Cain Fett, child of Jango and sibling of Boba and the Nulls._

_Cain Fett is a_ teenage Sergeant  _in the GAR, but holds the respect of every single clone in the military, regardless of rank._


End file.
